Ever present but not disruptive, Alex Eala’s parents provide steady support system
Ever present but not disruptive, Alex Eala’s parents provide steady support system
“The wins are obviously easier to talk about,” he told the Inquirer on Saturday from Grenoble, France, where the 16-year-old tennis prodigy reached the second round of a women’s tournament held there, all the way from the qualifiers. “The losses are more challenging. Usually I give her a hug and a ‘good fight’ comment. Then I take the cue from her.”
The doting dad has learned to do so after watching from the stands in nine of Alex’s 20 tournaments across continents. Oftentimes, the whole family flies in to watch her play. Such support is rarely seen in Philippine sports. But then again, so is a talent like Eala.
“As a parent of a highly competitive tennis teenager athlete, being with her as much as possible is a conscious effort to hopefully help her realize her goal of being a top global tennis athlete,” said Mike, adding his daughter has raised the bar for a lot of female Filipino tennis hopefuls.
